Las Vegas Events Reaches Agreement with the Thomas & Mack Center to Continue Hosting the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
Modernization at the arena to enhance the experience for rodeo fans
LAS VEGAS – July 28, 2015 – For thirty consecutive years, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo has been held at the Thomas & Mack Center. That streak will continue as Las Vegas Events has reached an agreement with the Thomas & Mack Center to host the Wrangler NFR for a length of up to ten years. In 2015, the rodeo will run from Dec. 3 – 12.
The agreement mirrors the extension that LVE and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority signed with the PRCA in January 2014 that keeps the world’s richest and most prestigious rodeo in Las Vegas through 2024.
First held at the Thomas & Mack Center in 1985, the Wrangler NFR has become a December tradition in Las Vegas. In 2014, the event reached an all-time total attendance record of 177,565.
“In our thirty year run in Las Vegas, the Thomas & Mack Center has been our only home,” said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. “There are no sightlines in sports as good as those in this arena. The major improvements they are making will greatly enhance the experience for our fans.”
The arena is undergoing a $72 million modernization that includes increased ADA seating, improved ingress/egress with additional entry points into the arena and new seats. Fans will also find new and increased number of restrooms, concessions stands and concourse finishes. In addition, the arena will have a new escalator, concourse space and improved hospitality, with ample meeting space and a 36,000-square foot addition that will overlook the Las Vegas Strip.
“We are very excited to continue this great relationship with Las Vegas Events and the Wrangler NFR,” said Mike Newcomb, the director of the Thomas & Mack Center. “To be able to host one of the premier events in all the world and to work with such great people is a true honor.”
Sold out for 280 consecutive performances, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding as they compete for a share of the $10 million purse. Qualification is based on the 2015 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Standings.
For more information on the Wrangler NFR, please visit www.NFRexperience.com or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR.